With years of experience in swimwear, dealing with different swimwear fabrics and having spoken with the product development teams of numerous swimwear brands, the team at Swimmer.com.au have developed a number of rules on how to care for your swimsuit.

Please remember that just because a swimsuit is chlorine resistant it doesn't mean that it will withstand being rolled up in a towel, not rinsed until your next training session! The same rules apply to ALL swimwear fabrics.

RULE 1 - Have a shower before putting on your swimsuit

If you have the time, we recommend having a shower before you put your swimsuit on. Your swimsuit will easily pick up grease, dirt, deodorants, skin and face lotions, sunscreen, make-up, leave in conditioners etc... While these generally wash off in the pool, the chemicals in these products can contribute to deterioration.

Always avoid grease, oils, sunscreen and other chemical substances.

RULE 2 - Avoid contact with rough surfaces

Fabric can be snagged or pilling may occur if placed in contact with rough surfaces. Please avoid contact with rough surfaces, including pool walls, decks, lane ropes, starting blocks and concrete seating. This means you should not sit on the pool deck, starting blocks, LANE ROPES or pull yourself out over the pool edge. DO NOT slide your body over the top of the lane ropes when making your way across to the side of the pool, always go under the lane rope to exit. If you want to sit on the pool edge, deck or starting blocks either sit on a towel, kickboard or pool buoy. Always use the stairs to exit the pool.

RULE 3 - Rinse your swimsuit after you have worn it

After you have worn your swimsuit in training or in your race make sure you remove it straight away and rinse it in cold fresh water and lay flat to dry. While most of us love nothing more than to jump into a hot shower after training or a race, this is THE worst thing you can do. Don't bleach, iron or dry clean your swimsuit and don't wring the swimsuit out to dry.

NOTE: This rule is very important for those of you who own racing swimsuits. These swimsuits are made from very thin fabrics and are not designed for endurance they are designed for speed. Please remove your swimsuit after every race, rinse and lay flat to dry between your races. DO NOT remain in your racing swimsuit all day at a swim meet as it will deteriorate very quickly.

RULE 4 - Do not bleach, iron or dry clean your swimsuit

We strongly recommend that you do not bleach, iron or dry clean your swimsuit. It's really as simple as that!

RULE 5 - Never leave your swimsuit rolled up in your towel

We have all done it and most you probably do it quite regularly, but honestly this is one of THE worst things you can do, especially if you then decide to leave your towel in your swimming bag, locker or car for the day/night. Never, leave your wet swimsuit rolled up in a towel as moisture, darkness and heat can cause bacteria to breed and this will eat away at the fabric, making your swimsuit perish faster.